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by Eleen



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Art, Digital Art, Ficlet, Gift Art, Hugs, M/M, POV Matsuoka Gou, POV Outsider, Reunions, does it count as a performer AU is only one of them is a performer?, performer au, singer!Rin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:22:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28180860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eleen/pseuds/Eleen
Summary: An AU in which Rin is a singer. He’s coming back home to Haru after a worldwide tour, told from the POV of Gou.Ficlet with art!
Relationships: Matsuoka Gou & Matsuoka Rin, Matsuoka Rin/Nanase Haruka
Comments: 8
Kudos: 14
Collections: #ficwip 2020 gift exchange





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**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sapphiresflame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphiresflame/gifts).



> Here’s your exchange gift, Sapphie! I tried putting in as many of your prompts and fave things as I could. Oh, and it’s sliiightly Christmas-themed.  
> This started out with me having the idea to make a comic, but then I wrote too much so this turned into a ficlet with some art somewhere in the middle, instead. Enjoy!

Gou made her way through the busy airport. There was no need to rush, as they had more than enough time, but still her feet carried her swiftly to Arrivals.

She looked over at Haru, who had come with her and was walking just as swiftly. It seemed he felt the same sense of excitement. He might not be the most expressive of people, but even Gou could see he was _shining_ right now. He really wanted to see his boyfriend in person again. 

Rin and Haru had always shared a bond. The day Rin came home from school talking excitedly about the boy with black hair and eyes as blue as water, she’d never seen him so excited before. So _lovestruck_. Gou had already gotten the impression back then that Rin and Haru’s relationship was something special, something _different_. She thought it was so cool, how they’d always race together in the swimming pool, how close they were in those few months. 

Then Rin had gone off chasing his dreams of stardom in Australia. He’d come back 5 years later, broken. Defeated. It had crushed her heart to see that her brother had lost all faith in himself. He had stopped making music, stopped singing, and stopped swimming entirely. 

Slowly but surely, he’d found his way again, with the help of his friends. Haru in particular played a big part in that, even if the both of them were too oblivious to see it at the time. 

The day he told her and their mom that Haru was his boyfriend, they’d thrown an impromptu party, they were so happy for him.

Rin had started to really make a name for himself, and he’d thrown himself headfirst into an almost worldwide tour. His absence was different this time, however. He kept in contact, texted and video-chatted everyone regularly. He actually _talked_ about the things that bothered him. He sent them funny behind-the-scenes tidbits. He showed them the new tattoos he’d gotten, most (if not all) of them designed by Haru in some way.

All in all, Gou was very happy with how far her brother had come. She was _so_ proud of him.

She was also very glad he was coming home again. It felt like forever since she last saw him. 

She missed him. She knew Haru missed him, too.

She had seen how hard the separation was on the both of them. They made the long-distance relationship work, but sometimes she could clearly see the longing in Haru’s eyes or sense Rin’s self-doubt in the way he spoke.

She had gotten Rin to spill some of his worries to her, last night on a video call, before his trip home.

_“What if he doesn’t… want me anymore, y’know? What if he can’t forgive me for staying away for so long_ again _?” he said._

 _“Brother, honestly, you’re an_ idiot _,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Haru likes you_ so _much. He’s so happy you’re coming home again. He won’t forgive you for staying away, because he never blamed you in the first place. This is a thing that you two decided together. And I_ know _he still cares about you.”_

_Rin’s image on-screen slowly started tearing up while she spoke. He sniffed and wiped his eyes, smudging some of his eyeliner. Honestly, why someone who cried so easily decided it was a good idea to wear eyeliner regularly was beyond her. Her brother was such an idiot sometimes._

_A loveable idiot, though._

_“Thanks, Gou. You’re a great sister,” he said, trying (but failing) to keep his voice under control._

_“I know,” she said, smiling._

She saw a flash of maroon appear behind the mass of the crowd, and stood on her toes to get a better look.

“It’s him, it’s him!” she said, elbowing Haru to get his attention.

There he was, in his dark-red jacket, carrying his backpack. He spotted them and made his way over to them.

He was frowning. 

…He looked worried.

Gou felt bad for him. He was probably running all kinds of doom scenarios through his head. Did he really think Haruka would ditch him? Has he not _seen_ the way that man looks at him? _Honestly, Rin._

She turned her head to look at Haru, who just stood there with the softest smile on his face.

Suddenly, Haru surged forward and met Rin halfway in a bone-crushing hug. Rin stumbled and almost fell over from the sudden weight, but he managed to balance himself just in time. Gou saw his cheeks flush as he wrapped his arms around Haru. She smiled at the sight in front of her.

“I missed you,” Haru said into Rin’s shoulder.

“I missed you too, Haru. So much,” Rin responded, squeezing Haru even tighter.

Eventually, they disentangled themselves again and Rin noticed Gou standing off to the side. He greeted her and gave her a big hug.

As they made their way out of the airport and to the taxi, catching up on the latest news, Haru suddenly spoke up.

“Take me with you next time,” he said. 

Rin’s eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened. The expression was a little comical, actually.

“But… b-but you said… you said you didn’t like traveling,” he said, a little hesitantly.

“I thought I would miss home. But I… I think I know now that home is wherever you are,” Haru said.

Rin just stared at him for a moment, blinking. Then he teared up and he hugged Haru again.

Gou tried not to intrude, this was clearly something between just the two of them, but she couldn’t help but overhear Rin whisper an “I love you” to Haru. It made her smile.

They made it to the taxi and settled themselves on the backseat.

She looked over at them. At how they were subtly leaning into one another, comfortable in the other’s presence. How their hands were linked, out of sight of the taxi driver. How they looked at each other with such adoration in their eyes.

And even though they’d been apart for so long, they still fit together like two puzzle pieces. Two very different and oddly-shaped puzzle pieces, but they fit, nonetheless.

She hoped one day, she could have something similar to what Rin and Haru had together.

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope this was to your liking, Sapphie! And thanks everyone for reading!


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